How (not) to flirt with your best friend
by Srinalyn
Summary: Crushes are hard. Especially when said crush is someone by the name of Bakugou Katsuki. Kirishima learns this very quickly, and turns to his friends for help. They don't really know what they're doing either. -Or- The Bakusquad's (Minus Bakugou) adventures in helping Kirishima with his problematic crush.


**This has been a WIP for so long but I'm glad I'm finally publishing this. It's my longest oneshot I've written, so there's a certain amount of pride that comes with that. Some parts were rushed though, so I apologize in advance.**

 **Anyways! I hope you all enjoy! I love these dumb kids and I hope you do too**

* * *

Kirishima wasn't always prone to thinking his actions over before he went through with them.

So, at this moment, as Kirishima stared at Kaminari's face, he wasn't sure if he had just made the best decision in telling him just _who_ he liked.

"Hold on... you like _Bakugou_?" Kaminari nearly snorted, "Seriously, bro?

He paused for a moment, a thoughtful expression on his face, "I mean, now that I think about it..."

Kirishima could almost see the montage of moments between him and Bakugou running through Kaminari's head, and he simply sat still, waiting for the other to get through 'the stages of finding out your best friend is into a guy that probably isn't even capable of liking anyone, let alone your best friend!'. He'd made the name up himself, in the spur of the moment. That was also probably why the name was what it was.

"It kind of makes sense. Not completely, but kind of. But, seriously dude, you couldn't have gotten a crush on anyone else? Yeah, Bakugou's kind of a friend of mine too," he gestured absentmindedly with his hands, "but I feel like it be kind of difficult to be in a relationship with him? I support you though, bro."

"Thanks, bro." Kirishima put his fist up for a fistbump, and Kaminari gladly obliged. "And I know, but Bakugou's probably surprisingly nice in a relationship! Like, maybe he's actually really touchy and likes sappy things, I can see it!"

"I can't."

"Yeah yeah, well you never know."

* * *

Predictably, Jirou, Ashido, and Sero found out not long after. Kirishima thought their reactions were basically what he had expected them to be.

Jirou's simply being, "I figured.", and Ashido's being quite a bit of a squealing accompanied by a few remarks on how he "could do better."

Sero only tilted his head for a moment, made a facial expression signifying understanding, then said a "Hey, I can see it now that I think about it."

He also understood how they were hesitant on their support as the person of interest _was_ Bakugou. He wasn't exactly what you could call the "ideal boyfriend". He was alright with that, Bakugou had his own appealing traits. In his eyes, Bakugou was much more than the aggressive front he always put up.

The others, of course, didn't see this in the same light as Kirishima did, but that made sense, as they didn't really _feel_ how Kirishima did about the guy.

Despite all their remarks and opinions however, all were willing to help him devise a, possibly idiotic, plan to slowly get closer to Bakugou. Slowly was the key, as going too quick probably wasn't a great idea when it came to someone with a bit of a bad temper. They were already quite close friends, so Kirishima wasn't too worried about seeming suspicious in any way.

That was, as long as he didn't go along with _everything_ the others suggested.

"I mean, you could always just go right out and kiss him. Your quirk'll prevent the explosions from hurting too badly."

Kirishima grinned awkwardly, as Kaminari spoke exactly what he had been thinking.

"Yeah, don't think that'd exactly sweep Bakugou off his feet."

"Guuys, Kirishima's gotta make slow advances! You know, start with just keeping close, hang off of him a bit more. And theen, hold his hand some time! You might want to wait a while for that one though. Like, with anyone else you could probably go for that right away, but with Bakugou… you get it."

"Whatever, that works too."

Sero grinned, crossing his arms across his chest, "Good luck not getting hit with his quirk, buddy."

Kirishima grinned, more enthusiastically this time, "Hmm, yeah! I mean, I already do hang off him quite a bit now, but a little more would probably work! And yeah Sero, I get what you mean but... I've got my hardening quirk, so it's no problem!"

Activating his quirk and bumping his fists together, he set his expression into one of determination, "Let's just hope Bakugou's not too dense about it."

Kaminari lightly hit his shoulder, laughing, "Yeah, bro, go get some!"

Kirishima only grinned wider as Jirou rolled her eyes and Ashido whooped with laughter, grateful his friends were there to help him get through this. Crushes were a mess.

* * *

Of course, Kirishima first put the plan into action as Bakugou tried to help him study. It was convenient; they were in Bakugou's room and already in close quarters, so he took the opportunity.

As Bakugou watched him attempt to solve a math problem (the key word was _attempt_ ), Kirishima decided to rest his arm on Bakugou's shoulder (it was at a conveniently comfortable level, thanks to Bakugou's slouching). Sucking in a breath, he watched the blond out of the corner of his eye, watching to see if he reacted in any way.

Whether fortunate or unfortunate, Bakugou did not seem to react, and Kirishima wondered if the action was already something he did too commonly. Huffing, he continued on the math problem, not daring to go any farther to avoid being suspicious.

However, after finishing the page (and sitting through many insults and corrections being given by Bakugou), he took a deep breath before fully leaning against Bakugou.

"The hell are you doing?"

He faked a yawn, making his speech slurred, "'M tired, stay still and let me lean on you."

Bakugou shot a glare and growled, "It's fucking 7 pm."

Kirishima put his full weight against the other, giving a noncommittal hum, "Sparring was tiiringg."

Scoffing, Bakugou rolled his eyes, "Fucking baby. Whatever, as long as you do the rest of this shitty math from that position, I don't care."

Kirishima silently yet out a yell of victory in his head, and lazily worked on the problems left on the paper as Bakugou continued to correct his (many) mistakes.

Predictably, when they were finished, Bakugou promptly kicked Kirishima out of his room.

Kirishima pouted slightly, but simply ran a hand through his hair as he walked away, mumbling to himself.

"Baby steps, baby steps."

* * *

"Hold on, he let you _lean_ on him?" Jirou's usual bored expression turned to one of surprise as Kirishima recounted the events of the study session.

"Yep! I mean, I had to pretend to be exhausted to initiate it, but he didn't make me move. He's a surprisingly comfortable pillow!"

Kaminari snorted as he spoke, "Dude, he's also a pillow that could create explosions at any moment."

"Good thing my quirk is what it is then, eh?" Kirishima smiled, as the others only rolled their eyes.

Sero tilted his head thoughtfully, "Huh, maybe Bakugou's _actually_ got a soft spot then."

"Maybe it's only for Kirishima~" Ashido leaned back in her chair, grinning.

They all laughed as Ashido winked at him, and Kirishima felt his face flush.

He rested his head in his hand, and mumbled to himself.

"Pff, I hope so."

* * *

The second time Kirishima decided to make a move occurred when they were in plain sight, in the cafeteria. Perhaps not the best decision on his part, he noted, but he figured it couldn't go _too_ badly. Probably, anyway.

They were sat at a table near the corner, along with Ashido, Kaminari, Jirou, and Sero. Ashido was speaking excitedly about the sparring they had done in class, while Sero and Kaminari would add something here or there. Jirou simply ate with a slightly amused expression on her face, and Bakugou… well, he angrily ate his food. He also yelled at the others periodically about something or other, as Bakugou must always do.

Kirishima ended up taking over the conversation, pulling a classic movie theater move, minus the fake stretching; he made his move quickly. As he leaned forward to engage in the conversation more, he tossed his arm around Bakugou so his arm rested in the space between his neck and shoulder. They were positioned in a way that it was doubtful the move could be seen as a platonic thing. This way, they were in such close quarters that they could feel each other's body heat.

He felt the other tense up, while the rest of the squad glanced quickly at the hand placement, still talking as to not appear suspicious.

His heart felt as if it was beating out of his chest, and his words came out in a fast stream, too fast for anyone to really understand. It slowed as he felt the blond relax, though he could see him shoot a glare out of the corner of his eye.

Kaminari and Sero both gave him subtle thumbs ups, while Jirou and Ashido gave him knowing smirks. He only smiled, and continued on with the conversation, feeling content with his success.

* * *

"I still don't quite understand _why_ you like Bakugou, no offense buddy."

"Serooo, don't question Kirishima's crush, we have to support him!" Ashido poked Sero's cheek, puffing out her own cheeks.

"Hey, hey, I'm still supporting him! It's just, you know, it's Bakugou."

Jirou absentmindedly twirled a small piece of her hair, legs crossed as she offered a simple, "He's got a point there."

Kaminari nodded in agreement as Ashido pouted, before moving and throwing her arms around Kirishima.

"It's okay, Kiri, I support you. Don't cry now, for they'll come around eventually."

Kirishima grinned and let out a laugh, gently prying Ashido's arms off of him. Reluctantly, she let go, and moved to lazily sit on a nearby chair instead. The others laughed at the exchange as well, attracting the attention of others around them. Not that Kirishima particularly cared, he just enjoyed laughing and smiling with his friends.

"The fuck are you guys laughing about?"

Kirishima's head shot up as he heard the familiar voice behind him. Now, most people would've been alarmed, or annoyed by a statement like that; but Kirishima's grin only grew as he stood up from his chair.

"Bakugou! Yo!" Casually tossing an arm around the blonde, Kirishima practically dragged him to sit next to him.

As he plopped down on his seat, he heard Bakugou murmur a few curses under his breath, situating himself and batting Kirishima's arm away.

"Nice of you to join us, Bakugou," Kaminari shot a sly grin Kirishima's way before continuing, "I'm sure Kirishima's happy you're here."

"W-Why wouldn't I be? He's my best friend. Is that a crime?" Flabbergasted, Kirishima tripped over his words, giving Kaminari a look of 'why would you do this to me'.

"Wow Kiri, I thought _we_ were your best friends." Ashido looked sadly at him, while Sero and Kaminari followed suit. Not long after, Jirou brought her hand to her heart, shaking her head sadly.

Snorting, Kirishima lazily smiled, "You guys are, but Bakugou is too, aren't you, blasty?"

As he shot a look at Bakugou, he was met with a glare.

"Not if you keep using that shitty nickname."

"Aha, so you admit that Kirishima is your best friend! By extension, that also means we're your best friends. Sorry, I don't make the rules." Sero grinned slyly as Bakugou's glare zeroed in on him.

"Whatever happened to 'I have no friends, everyone's an idiot and I'm number one" Bakugou?" Jirou leaned forward, uncrossing her legs as she teased Bakugou.

"You guys fucking suck. Never said you guys were my fucking friends or whatever."

Kirishima bumped Bakugou's shoulder with his own, "Aw, come on, you love us."

Bakugou only rolled his eyes, as the others laughed at the lack of a denial.

* * *

On another occasion that Kirishima made a move, it'd become a regular thing for him to hang off of him, lean on him and he'd even once forced him into a hug. Bakugou had grumbled and muttered complaints, but he'd melted into the hug all the same. Kirishima had held onto the that moment for as long as he could, and when he'd told the others about it, they'd congratulated him on 'seeing a Bakugou no one else had'.

And at this moment, he had his arms hanging over his shoulders and Bakugou went over his notes from that day's class.

"Bakugou, how do you take such good notes? You gotta tell me your secret, dude."

Bakugou sighed, "I pay attention and don't talk to my fucking friends half the class."

"Somehow, I feel like that's referring to me." He dug his chin into Bakugou's head,and Bakugou elbowed his arm in response.

"If you insist on hanging off me, at least let me fucking study."

Kirishima laughed, but didn't say anything else, and he gently placed his rested his shin on Bakugou's shoulder.

It was at times like this he wondered if this kind of contact could really be read as non platonic to someone like Bakugou. Or to anyone else in general. He'd seen his classmates relax like this with friends, so it wasn't inherently "romantic" or whatever. But at the same time, this was Bakugou and Bakugou wasn't someone who let people hang off of him.

Kirishima was confused, to say the least. Maybe he'd figure this out eventually.

* * *

"He really wouldn't be as bad a boyfriend as you guys seem to think! Yeah, he's a little rough around the edges, but he can be nice when he wants to be. At least, nice for being, you know, Bakugou." Kirishima grinned sheepishly, letting out a small laugh. "He's opened up a lot, yeah? He's not as mean and uncaring as he had originally seemed to be. As it turns out, he actually cares a lot. Maybe more than most would. Also, he lets me hang off of him and get close to him. That's always nice."

The others took a moment to stare at him, before Ashido wrapped her arms around his arm, almost squealing in excitement.

"Aww, you really like him! How sweeet!"

"You do realize that Bakugou's only like that with _you_ , right?" Jirou smiled lopsidedly, amused.

Kirishima's face flushed as he fiddled with the edge of his shirt, while his friends laughed.

"That's not true, he's nice to you guys too! At least some of the time..."

Sero and Kaminari shared a knowing look, before Kaminari turned and smirked at Kirishima, "Whatever you say, bro, but he tends to be especially nice toward you."

"Slander and lies."

"We only speak the truth." Ashido sent a teasing smile his way, and Kirishima couldn't help but laugh.

"Alright, alright, whatever you guys say."

* * *

Kirishima, after finding that weekends tended to be particularly boring, decided he'd go to the movies on a Saturday. And, like the good friend he was, he had decided that he would invite some friends to go along.

Not surprisingly, said 'friends' were Jirou, Ashido, Kaminari, Sero, and finally, Bakugou. He had quickly gotten to asking them all, and everyone agreed right away when asked, with the exception of Bakugou.

He hadn't outright refused, only made a few complaints before Kirishima eventually got the confirmation text from him.

 _'Fine, I'll go'_

Kirishima grinned, humming a short victory fanfare. He sent Bakugou a few cheesy emojis before switching to his group chat with the others (Titled ' _The Bakusquad_ '. His idea, of course.)

 **Stronk Boi:** _Yo, I got blasty to agree to come!_

 **Not Pikachu:** _I told you bro_

 **Fuck the iPhone X:** _Nice. I figured you could._

 **Alien (1979):** _Yes! I knew he'd say yes to you ;))_

 **Stronk Boi:** _What's with the winky face :/_

 **Alien (1979):** _;)_

 **Not Pikachu:** _;)_

 **Fuck the iPhone X:** _;)_

 **Scotch Tape:** _;)_

 **Stronk Boi:** _Not you too Sero I trusted you :((_

 **Scotch Tape:** _Sorry bro ;)_

 **Stronk Boi:** _Anyways, meet up at the theater at 1:00 on Saturday kids_

 **Alien (1979):** _I'm older than you_

 **Stronk Boi:** _Ashido pls_

 **Alien 1979:** _;)_

Conveniently, everyone except for Kaminari canceled at the last moment, providing a variety of excuses, including:

Sero called first, only offering a _'Sorry buddy, my parents are getting on my back about helping around the house. Got roped into housework for the weekend.'_

Then came Jirou's call: _'I hope there's no hard feelings, but a friend from my middle school's coming around for a while, and I don't get to see her often. We can hang some other time.'_

And finally, Ashido's: _'I don't feel good today, sorry Kiri! Have fun with Bakugou though, will you?'_

The last one was suspicious. Just slightly.

Kirishima responded with _'Have fun with Bakugou? Don't you mean with Kaminari and the others too?'_

The answer came out slightly rushed. _'Ah, yeah, yeah of course! Uh, just figured I'd specify him, since, you know. You looo-'_

 _'Alright, I'm hanging up now._ '

Kirishima hadn't been born the day before, he was perfectly aware of what they were trying to do. Ashido's call only confirmed his suspicions. So, you could call him surprised when Kaminari didn't cancel, showing up at the specified time.

"Yo, bros!" Kirishima slightly sped up, spotting Bakugou and Kaminari in front of the theater. He clapped his hands on their shoulders, smiling wildly.

"You guys ready to see the third installment of the best movie series released?"

"You've got shit taste if you call this 'the best movie series released'" Bakugou scoffed, an unimpressed expression on his face.

He gasped. Betrayal!

Feigning a tone of astonishment and sadness, he brought his hands to his heart, backing up a step.

"Bakugouu, how could you say such a thing! And here I thought we were bros!" He wiped a fake tear from his eye, turning toward Kaminari. "Bro, you agree with me right? This is a work of genius, right?"

"I don't know man, I might have to agree with blasty." Bakugou glared at him for the nickname, "I think, you know, most other series might just beat it. I- uh, hold on."

Kaminari was interrupted by his phone ringing, and somehow, Kirishima felt like he had an inkling of an idea of who was calling.

"Ah, A-mom?" He paused, and Kirishima heard a voice that sounded suspiciously like Ashido speaking during the pause. "Ah, really? Alright. I'll be right home then."

"Sorry guys, I gotta go, my mom's apparently got something that can't wait a few hours. Catch you guys at school!" Kaminari made quick work of speed walking away, and Kirishima watched with a slight smile on his face.

"His fucking loss then. The movie may be shitty, but it's still a movie. Oi, shit hair, we're getting the largest fucking thing of popcorn they have, got it?" Bakugou turned to Kirishima, apparently unphased by the turn of events.

If anything, Kirishima could've sworn he heard a tone of _amusement_ in his voice. Kirishima wondered if he thought that Kirishima had planned for all the others to cancel. It was a textbook date setup, and from Bakugou's point of view, could seem like a very likely scenario.

Kirishima waved the thought away, turning toward Bakugou again.

He couldn't find it in his heart to be angry at Kaminari, as he knew _exactly_ what was going on. If anything, he might've been a tad bit grateful, not that he'd say that to Bakugou.

"Sure, whatever you want, blasty." Kirishima threw an arm around Bakugou's shoulder, keeping it there as they walked into the theater.

Once seated, with one large tub of popcorn held by Bakugou, Kirishima's nerves began to act up. He was in a movie theater, sat next to his best friend that he was ' _kind of into but would say 'in love with' would be a bit much, but just 'likes' is also kind of underwhelming considering how he felt and he overall just really wanted to kiss him sometimes. Or all the time_.'

Yeah, Kirishima needed to sort out his feelings.

Shaking his head, he licked his lips nervously, glancing at Bakugou in his peripheral vision.

His face was set into one of annoyance, as usual, but his expression was much more relaxed than usual. His brows weren't furrowed, and the only thing hinting toward annoyance was the frown formed by his lips. Though, Kirishima suspected this was the default setting at this point.

Kirishima allowed himself to smile slightly as he tilted his head ever so slightly toward Bakugou. It'd be a lie if he didn't say he spent at least 5 minutes of the previews simply _looking_ at him. He admired the way the light from the screen hit his face, defining his features. Kirishima had trouble putting into words all the things he felt right then, even within his own mind. He couldn't explain just how _ethereal_ Bakugou looked right then, with the soft shadows cast by his nose, by his jaw, by his lips. His head was rested against his hand, while his other hand occasionally reached into the tub to grab a handful of popcorn. He'd occasionally glance over at Kirishima, and Kirishima would hold his breath, directing his gaze away for a few moments. When he looked back, he could've sworn he saw a tiny smirk on the blonde's features. Tiny? yes. But actually there instead of his usual scowl? Fuck yes. Was Kirishima swooning? Quite possibly.

He reluctantly tore his eyes away from Bakugou when he heard the opening music beginning to play, signaling the movie was starting. He reached into the tub as he focused his gaze on the screen, grabbing some popcorn, and felt his hand brush against Bakugou's. His breath caught in his throat, even from such a small thing. Normally, things like this wouldn't affect him, but it was different in a place like this.

It just felt so much like a _date_. He didn't exactly mind, except the atmosphere was just so different. It was like something you'd see in a stereotypical romance movie, featuring your run of the mill high school soon-to-be-couple, and sub-par acting. The most notable differences were likely the real highschoolers in place of actors, and the fact that Bakugou and him were both male. Not quite what they show on the big screens.

Past that, you didn't really see what happens in those movies. Movies didn't warn Kirishima of how hyper aware he'd be of his movements and the slightest touches. They didn't show what happened when one out of the two people had very real feelings and didn't know if the other one felt the same.

There was also the fact that it wasn't really a date. Regardless if it felt like one or not, it wasn't one, and they were just friends hanging out; guys being dudes.

 _Right._

* * *

Kirishima got through the movie with minimal issues, not even Bakugou was enough to keep him distracted when it came to his favorite movie series. At least, not for long. There were, of course, incidents where Kirishima got caught up in the situation he was in, once again.

'Getting caught up in the situation' meant a few things:

1\. Staring at Bakugou for prolonged periods of time

2\. Becoming hyper aware of his movements, again

3\. Overthinking the question of whether this could be considered a date or not

Overall, he had been treading dangerous territory.

Even so, the day ended successfully with him and Bakugou saying goodbye and going their separate ways. Predictably, Kirishima messaged the Bakusquad all about the experience as soon as Bakugou was out of sight.

 **Stronk Boi:** _you guys may have ditched me but i forgive you_

 **Stronk Boi:** _it kind of felt like a date and i got nervous but i was okay because it was fun_

 **Stronk Boi:** _also the movie was awesome (i'm looking at you kaminari)_

 **Fuck the iPhone X:** _it was basically a date_

 **Not Pikachu:** _^ also i can't believe you i didn't see it_

 **Alien (1979):** _i guess it was good that we all canceled so you two could go on a date!_

 **Stronk Boi:** _it wasn't a date T-T_

 **Scotch Tape:** _it basically was_

 **Stronk Boi:** _T-T_

* * *

"Hey, Bakugou, what d'you think you'd do if any guy or girl in our class asked you out?"

"The hell? Isn't it obvious? I'd tell them to fuck off."

Kirishima hid his face to mask his disappointment, "Right, right."

Bakugou leaned back in his chair, looking at Kirishima from an angle. "Why're you asking anyway?"

"No reason! I was just curious! But it's so not manly to be so blunt about it. Let 'em down easy, bro!"

Bakugou only rolled his eyes, directing an unimpressed look toward Kirishima.

"If they were asking me out in the first place, they'd know how I'd fucking react. I don't have to be gentle because I'm not a goddamn gentle person."

Kirishima nodded a few times, "That is true, that is true. Manliness comes in many forms I guess."

The conversation moved on from there, and they began to talk about classes, quirks, and just whatever came to mind. Even so, Kirishima couldn't help the lingering sadness from the knowledge that Bakugou really wasn't interested in a relationship.

He should've suspected, he supposed. Though, he wasn't about to give up hope. He'd never done so before, and he wasn't about to start now.

* * *

 **Kirishima:** _hey you should come get lunch with me_

 **Blasty boi:** _why the fuck would i do that?_

 **Kirishima:** _because i'm your best friend and i'm paying_

 **Blasty boi:** _and?_

 **Kirishima:** _you wound me :((_

 **Kirishima:** _it won't be for longg_

 **Blasty boi:** _whatever_

 **Blasty boi:** _send me the place and i'll go, you better be there in 10_

 **Kirishima:** _:DD_

Kirishima grinned wide enough for his cheeks to hurt as he practically jumped out of his bed in his excitement. No, it was nothing big to get lunch with someone, he did with the others all the time. However, was he going to take every opportunity to initiate close contact? Absolutely.

He hoped that he could go to a lunch with Bakugou someday and really call it a _date_. Unfortunately, he was well aware of the fact that it would take a very long time until he was able to do that. Regardless, he couldn't stop the butterflies in his stomach.

As he pumped his fist in the air to celebrate, he hurriedly checked himself over in the mirror before rushing out his door, breathing in the fresh air as he stepped outside.

Pulling out his phone, he made quick work of texting the Bakusquad, as they were all very invested in the (nonexistent) romance between him and Bakugou.

 **Stronk Boi:** _I'm omw to meet w/ Bakugou :D_

 **Alien (1979):** _OOOH A DATE?_

 **Stronk Boi:** _Noo, just meeting up_

 **Fuck the iPhone X:** _It's probably a date_

 **Stronk Boi:** _I wish :((_

 **Stronk Boi:** _I can show the screenshot if u guys don't believe me_

 **Scotch Tape:** _yes_

 **Stronk Boi:** _image attached_

 **Not Pikachu:** _aww come on that's so a date_

He bumped into a couple people while staring at his phone, muttering hurried apologies as he passed.

 **Stronk Boi:** _Nah_

 **Stronk Boi:** _gtg I'm at the cafe_

 **Alien (1979):** _Have fun on your date!_

 **Scotch Tape:**

 **Not Pikachu:**

 **Fuck the iPhone X:**

Kirishima rolled his eyes, though he still had to smile. He pocketed his phone, looking up to find that he'd arrived at his destination. He glanced around, eyes going from person to person, until his eyes landed on the person of interest. He took quick steps over, grinning widely.

"Yo, Bakugou!"

Bakugou growled, "are you always this fucking enthusiastic? Nevermind, don't answer that. By now, I know you are."

Kirishima only shrugged his shoulders in agreement, as his smile grew wider and he took hold of Bakugou's arm, dragging him inside.

Bakugou went along with little resistance, and Kirishima could see him hiding a smile of his own, though small.

They took a seat at a small table, located in the corner of the cafe. Cozy is what Kirishima would describe the place as. He wouldn't mind frequenting the place when he wanted to grab a bite to eat. And as he looked across the table at the blonde seated with him, he decided he also wouldn't mind going there with _him_ more often.

Perhaps one day they'd go on an official date there.

Kirishima smiled at the thought, before glancing up at the menu displayed above the counter.

"Hey, Bakugou, what're you gonna get?"

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the other give a half-hearted shrug.

"I'll probably just get whatever you get, as long as it's not some gross shit."

Kirishima pouted, sticking out his bottom lip for emphasis, "Aw, come on blasty, have some faith in my choices!"

"Fine, as long as your food choices aren't as shitty as your fashion choices." He cast a sidelong glance at Kirishima, a look of smugness adorning his features.

"Aw, come on man, that's just mean. Crocs are comfortable-"

"And hideous."

"-and they're a perfectly valid choice of shoes."

Bakugou only rolled his eyes, they had had this conversation many times before.

"So, we just gonna sit here or we gonna fucking eat?"

"Tsk, tsk. Impatient as always, bro." Kirishima grinned in response to the glare, "I know what I'm getting! I'm not actually that hungry, so it's just a muffin and a drink. That cool with you?"

"Sure."

And so, Kirishima made his way to the counter, greeting the worker cheerfully before listing off what he and Bakugou wanted. They were simple things, so they were given to him within a few minutes, and Kirishima carried them back to the table.

"I think it's fair to say that I should be your favorite person right now because I am about to give you food."

"You're always my favorite person, dumbass."

Kirishima blinked.

"What?"

Bakugou rolled his eyes, "I said fuck you, give me the food."

He laughed awkwardly, assuming he'd just heard things wrong the first time around, and gave Bakugou his drink and muffin.

Time seemed to pass quickly, as they got into a steady rhythm of conversation, Kirishima grinning ear to ear half the time. Bakugou himself even seemed to be happy, and this made Kirishima happier, so they both seemed to be in good moods overall.

Before they knew it, it had been a total of 2 hours since they'd arrived at the cafe, and Kirishima moms had both texted and asked him when he was getting home. He felt a little guilty for having spent such a long time there, but he was incredibly happy for having gotten to spend time with Bakugou.

The happiness overshadowed the guilt, so Kirishima's smile didn't waver.

Kirishima stood up from where he was sat, "Blasty, hate to cut this short but I gotta get home. See you later, yeah?"

"Sure. Later, shitty hair."

* * *

"Should I do it?"

"You should definitely do it."

"But Seroo, what if he turns me down? What if he rejects me?" Kirishima groaned as he laid his head on the table, sighing.

Ashido nudged his shoulder lightly, speaking in a cheery voice, "Kiri, you know he wouldn't! You guys are practically dating already, there's no way."

"I'm with Ashido on this one, I can't imagine Bakugou rejecting you." Jirou poked him with one of her earjacks, earning her a playful smile from Kirishima.

"How can you guys be sure?"

"Hey, we're friends with him too, so we know," Kaminari quickly assured, "he won't turn you down, bro."

"Alright, alright… I might as well try then, right?"

Ashido cheered, "right!"

* * *

When Kirishima finally got up the courage to go through with it, it was during a study session in Bakugou's room. He'd prepared himself best he could, mentally, and knew _basically_ what he was going to say. He kind of figured he'd wing it. Not the best choice, but Kirishima knew that his nerves would act up, and he'd forget any script he'd made anyway.

"Are you even paying attention? Your dumbass is gonna fail this test if you can't focus for 5 fucking seconds."

"Yeah, yeah, but can we, like, take a break?"

"Breaks aren't going to help you study, fucker."

"Yeah, yeah," Kirishima ran a hand through his hair, "But I need to say something anyway."

Bakugou stared at him impatiently, with an unimpressed expression on his face.

"Look, dude, uh..."

He scolded himself for his lack of confidence, muttering an 'out with it, out with it' to himself before continuing on.

"I've liked you? A lot? For a long time now? I get it if you're weirded out or something, and obviously it's all good if you don't return my feelings. Just, uh... I really like you. As more than a friend, if I didn't make that clear. Yeah."

He braced himself, sucking in a breath and clenching his teeth as he waited for any sort of response from the blond. He was hyper aware of every movement he or Bakugou made, and wasn't sure how much longer he could hold his breath by the time Bakugou finally spoke.

"What the shit?"

Kirishima couldn't say that the reaction wasn't unexpected. If anything, it was exactly what he had thought would happen. He let out a sigh, giving Bakugou a moment to process what he had just told him, before continuing with the lines he'd rehearsed in his head countless times.

"Look, Bakugou, it's cool if you don't feel the same." he sheepishly rubbed the nape of his neck, "we'll just go back to normal, yeah?"

"What. the. _shit_?"

Alright, Bakugou simply repeating the same phrase but with more emphasis wasn't exactly what Kirishima thought would happen then. It left him in a bit of an awkward spot; this happening had never even crossed his mind. He only stared and shifted his weight awkwardly as Bakugou stared at him dead-on, with a bewildered expression on his face. Kirishima vaguely wondered if Bakugou was about to activate his quirk and murder him where he was standing. In all honesty, he didn't think it was all that crazy a thought. He glanced around, momentarily choosing to look at everything except for Bakugou, before he finally heard the other say something; thankfully not "what the shit?" again.

"You fucking mean we've just been _friends_ this whole time?"

Kirishima was taken aback by that statement, and blinked profusely in response. He couldn't think of what else Bakugou could've thought they were. There was a fleeting thought that he hadn't even considered them friends, but it was pushed aside as it didn't align with anything Bakugou had just said or said in the past. When Bakugou continued, Kirishima made sure to listen carefully, as he too was confused at this point.

"I thought we were already fucking dating. What the fuck. All the shitty _touchiness_? Do you seriously fucking think I do that sappy ass shit with _friends_?"

Kirishima stuttered out an attempt at a word, as the roles were reversed and he was the one left with an awfully bewildered expression.

"You asked me to go out with you a-fucking-lone several times that only a dumbass wouldn't realize looked and felt like dates. You. You... what the fuck."

That's when it all began to click into place for Kirishima. Their outings could be seen as dates, and he was the only one Bakugou let get overly touchy with him. He had always just assumed Bakugou was too dense when it came to the romantic side of things to realize Kirishima was _trying_ to work up to asking him out.

Realizing this now also helped him come to the realization that not all relationships start with one or the other explicitly stating that it was starting. Some relationships needed no dramatic confession, they just kind of… started. He'd never really considered it, and had felt that the confession was a very important step in the establishment.

And then there was the one conversation they had had, when Kirishima had tried to see if Bakugou would be interested if anyone in their class asked him out. He'd included himself in the 'anyone', but if Bakugou had thought they were already dating, then it made sense. And now, Kirishima felt a _little_ stupid for having felt bad about it. He shook his head, face still deeply flushed; Bakugou's even more so.

"I… uh," Kirishima licked his chapped lips, "Then, I guess… we're together? Yeah? As long as you're okay with it. I mean, you already thought we were, I was trying to make it happen, so it makes sense. So, uhm, yeah."

"Of course it's fucking okay, I'm just pissed off that this has been a damn one sided relationship this whole time."

Kirishima physically relaxed, allowing himself to scoot closer to Bakugou, mere inches away. He licked his lips again, a nervous habit, as he looked at the blonde.

In a stereotypical scenario, this would be where he went in for the plunge, bracing himself and kissing Bakugou. He did play with the idea, tapping his foot lightly against the side of the bed. He moved his gaze back and forth; from Bakugou to the floor, back to Bakugou, and to the floor again.

He felt a hand, surprisingly gentle, lightly take hold of his jaw and turn his face toward the owner of the hand.

"You're supposed to kiss me now, dumbass." Bakugou had a lopsided smile on his face, and Kirishima barely had time to react before Bakugou closed the distance between them.

Their teeth knocked together painfully, lips interlocked in the most awkward way, and they weren't seated in a way that made things easy. Pulling away after mere seconds, Kirishima looked down bashfully.

This wasn't some movie, they weren't actors rehearsed in the act of kissing (Movies never seemed realize that first kisses kind of sucked). They were high school boys, inexperienced and nervous.

"That fucking sucked." Kirishima stifled a laugh as Bakugou went on, "let's try it again. Properly this time. Watch those fucking shark teeth of yours."

Kirishima turned his body, as did Bakugou, so they directly faced each other. Bakugou took hold of his face again, and they moved their heads to meet in the middle, lips interlocking without the teeth clanking.

And at this point, Kirishima's brain started going into overdrive because ' _oh my god he was kissing Bakugou. Bakugou was kissing him. They were kissing each other. Oh my god oh my god oh my god.'_ He couldn't quite think straight (Hah.) and was pretty sure that he was close to crying with how happy he was.

It didn't last long (too soon, Kirishima thought), and they soon pulled apart, Kirishima left with a dopey smile on his face. His eyes were watering ever so slightly, but he just blinked rapidly, as Bakugou looked to the side. Ever the grump, though that was fine with him.

But as Bakugou spared him a tentative glance, he managed a smile back and Kirishima only smiled wider.

"Can I add you to the Bakusquad group chat now?"

"The what now?"

* * *

 **Sometime's Kirishima's a dumbass and That's Okay**

 **(Also, fun fact, I had to look up texting abbreviations :"))**

 **Feel free to chat with me on my Tumblr!**

 **My writing/main Tumblr is oddly-tiny-scissors (because I'm far too lazy to put a link, and I also don't know how formatting works)**


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